poison & wine
by prettypinklips
Summary: There were a myriad of possibilities when it came to them. A thousand ways for them to fall in love. The heart works in mysterious ways, children. A series of prompts; from books, movies, and tv shows. / 02. "Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your family! Dishonor on your cow!" — Mushu, Mulan -— zuko/katara, duh.
1. Chapter 1

**title:** poison & wine

**summary:** There were a myriad of possibilities when it came to them. A thousand ways for them to fall in love. The heart works in mysterious ways, children.

**notes:** Quoted prompts. Updated as often as possible. Zutara, duh.

**quoted prompt:** "Winter is coming." — House Stark, _A Song of Ice and Fire_

* * *

_poison & wine_ ; 01. winter is coming

The wind pulls Katara from a fitful sleep. It blows through her open window and ruffles her blankets and hair. She groans into her pillow before rolling over, pushing a few brown curls out of her face. Her hand wanders to the usually warm spot beside her, finding that it's cold; empty.

Katara frowns, sitting up. The wind hisses against her skin, and she tugs her furs around her, looking around the room, vision bleary. "Zuko?" she calls lightly, peering into the darkness of their shared room. They're visiting her father in the South, had been there for several days, and she was enjoying waking up beside him. When they were home, and he was attending to his Fire Lord duties, she never woke beside him. He was gone when the sun rose, and he was in bed before she had even had dinner. He was working himself to the bone. It frustrated her to no end. They had been married for less than six moons, and she had yet to fall asleep and wake beside him more than seven times. The time they had spent here, together, were some of the greatest days and nights she had ever had. So where was he now?

Katara's frown deepens, and she kicks her legs over the side of the bed, wrapping one fur around her shoulders. She peaks out of the window, searching for him. Snow peppers her face as she leans out, cold air nipping at her nose.

She pushes back from the window, tottering to the fireplace. No wood. No flint. No nothing. Where is her husband when she needs him? She wasn't used to the cold any longer. She had grown up here, in the snow and frost and wind, and yet, the Fire Nation was where she was most comfortable. She could feel the cold settling into her bones, now, and she wished for a roaring fire to be lit in front of her, or for the sun to be shining on her face, the warm sand surrounding the Fire Nation's beaches beneath her toes.

Deciding looking for Zuko wasn't worth the trouble, or the cold, she crawls back into bed, burrowing under the furs and blankets.

Minutes later, there is a sparking sound, a shuffling, and then a fire is lit. She shoots up as heat swirls through the room. The open window has been shut, a fire is growing in the fireplace, and Zuko is shedding his fur coat, laying it over the back of a chair. He rubs his hands together before he crawls into bed beside her.

"Are you warm enough?" he questions, warming his palms and pressing them to her stomach. She nods, snuggling closer to him. She is now, now that she can feel the heat radiating off of his body, warming her to her core.

"Where were you?" she asks.

"Chopping wood for you." he murmurs into her hair, kissing the frost there away. "You were shivering."

"How husbandly of you." she snickers and he pinches her stomach.

"Hush, you." he sighs, pulling her closer still. Then, his feet press against her legs, and she jumps, squealing.

"Your feet are _freezing!_" she cries, shoving him away before tugging the blankets off of him and pulling them over herself.

He pouts at her, lips scrunching up. She only shakes her head at him. He looms closer to her, pouting his lips, eyes begging for a kiss. Their very own fire. She lifts an eyebrow, and when his lips touch hers, she pushes at his forehead with the heel of her hand and giggles when he tumbles off of the bed.

—


	2. Chapter 2

**title:** poison & wine

**summary:** There were a myriad of possibilities when it came to them. A thousand ways for them to fall in love. The heart works in mysterious ways, children.

**notes:** Quoted prompts. Updated as often as possible. Zutara, duh.

**quoted prompt:** "Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your family! Dishonor on your cow!" — Mushu, _Mulan_

* * *

_poison & wine_ ; 02. dishonor

Standing on the fringes of his Nation, Zuko crosses his arms behind his back, clasping his hands together. He's standing where the water and the warm sand meet, golden eyes on the sun. Just weeks before, he had been crowned Fire Lord. Guards are perched around the beach, hidden to the public eye, but very obvious to him. They are not taking any chances.

There are some, even after Ozai's defeat, who are wary of him. Most want peace, want the Nation's to live together in harmony once again, but others still fight. His council has received numerous letters filled with outrage and distaste. Many do not trust him. Many have threatened his life.

He's not really afraid. He has the best guard in the history of any Fire Lord: the Avatar, the most powerful Earthbender he's ever met, a warrior from the Souther Water Tribes, a Kyoshi Warrior, and a master Waterbender. He smiles as he thinks of her, perched in his new office day and night, pouring over his paperwork with him, stealing his hot dumplings and drinking his fire whiskey. She was attentive, always.

He has claimed his Nation, he has claimed his friends, he has claimed his position in bringing peace back to their world, he has claimed the lovely Waterbender in front of him as his own. He has defeated his father and sister. Aang, Sokka, Suki, Katara, Toph, and himself have saved thousands of lives.

But he still feels as if something is missing. Something still doesn't feel right.

Zuko can't put his finger on it. As he thinks this, as if on cue, the sun shines on his scar, scorching across the puckered skin. He frowns, scarred side of his face screwing up in distaste. He rubs the sore skin, always hurting, even years after he'd gotten it.

He frowns deeper, mood falling. He turns brooding, eyes darkening.

Katara's down in the water, a few feet in front of him, splashing around. She pushes hair from her face, water falling from her hands. She turns to him, smiling wide. Her expression falls when she sees the expression he's making. She frowns, splashing her way towards him.

Katara pulls his hand from his face, "Is it bothering you?" she questions, and he nods. She sighs, touching the scar, "I remember when all you cared about was 'honor this', and 'honor that'. So many things have changed." as if to emphasize this, she takes his hand in hers, squeezing. "But you know what? You did it, Zuko." Katara leans up, whispers in his ear, "You restored your honor. Not for your father, or Azula. You did it yourself, _for_ yourself, and for the Four Nations."

_She's right,_ he thinks. _As usual._ He had done this with no secret agenda, no plot to take over the world. He'd helped save the Four Nations because it was the right thing to do, the _honorable_ thing to do. He thinks his mother would be proud.

He smiles a little, scar scrunching up with the grin as he does so. She smiles back, a little startled at the sweet expression morphing his handsome face. She tugs a little harder on his hand, and pulls him down towards the water.

—


End file.
